Healing HeArtwork: An Opening Note

I decided a very long time ago that I wanted to help others with their self-care and personal growth.

I wasn’t exactly sure what that would look like, but I knew a few things for certain: it would involve art materials, teaching, and—this was the hard part—I would have to be vulnerable. I knew I would need to share openly in order to do this work well.

So… I stalled. For years.
Like, 15 years.

I worked on all of this quietly, privately, behind the scenes for more than a decade.

And then one day I said to myself, “Stop being a sissy. You’ve always been comfortable with your story—the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s time to share.”

I also knew that if I was going to teach workshops about using art materials to calm the mind and focus on what truly matters, I had to show how I’ve been using art to calm and focus myself my entire life. I had to plan time for self-care. I had to walk the walk—not just talk the talk.

So please know this:
These posts are true.
They are personal.
They are close to my heart.

The art you’ll see is straight from my soul.

My hope is that here and there you’ll find bits and pieces that you connect with. This is how I’ve processed life since I was very little—through art.

Some posts are raw and heavy.
Some are awkward realizations.
Some, I hope, give you a chuckle.

All of them include lessons I’ve learned along the way.

The rough sketches that accompany each post are my own, straight out of my sketchbook. I sign them with my maiden name, KMac (Kim MacPhee), as I always have—though my married name is Kim Critz.

Thank you for reading.

I’m not an English major, so please look past the occasional run-on sentence or missed punctuation. This space isn’t about perfection for me. It’s about what’s on my heart and mind. I hope you find something here that connects with your own heart and life experience.

And if all else fails—at the very least—I’ll have a beautiful journal of my life lessons and their interpretation through art.

My first blog post and sketchbook art will be shared this Sunday morning. Until then, I’ll be sitting here, sweating just a little, wondering if I’m oversharing with every tick of the clock.

Cheers to doing scary things that help you grow.

With love,
Kim

“If you can’t stop thinking about it, maybe it’s about time you pursue it.”
(Life really is about how we use our precious time… right?)

Healing HeArtwork for You

Without negative self-talk or judgment, write down one thing you’ve been wanting to do. It can relate to any area of your life—mind, body, or spirit.

Draw what it looks and feels like to you (it doesn’t have to be perfect), and/or cut out images that represent it. Place this somewhere you’ll see it daily.

Then, write out the steps it will take to move toward it.
Take tiny steps, every day.